Since they're the new guys not just to the SBC but FBS, I'm curious how JMU fans and everyone else see them competing.

9/3 MTSU
9/10 Norfolk St
9/24 @App State
10/1 Texas State
10/8 @Ark State
10/15 @Georgia Southern
10/22 Marshall
11/5 Louisville
11/12 @ODU
11/19 Georgia State
11/26 Coastal Carolina

I think they can beat any SBC team on the schedule but can't mark most of them down as wins.

I see 3-4 wins for them in conference

I can see them going 2-6

5 wins max.

We may only win 1 or 2 if we don't shore up the O-line. Most I think would be 4 wins with the number of unknowns that we currently have (as of 1 March 2022).

JMU is going to be a force in the Sun Belt...and that is absolutely no knock on the Sun Belt...JMU is a quality program and is going to surprise people how quickly they compete.

I say 3-4 wins. I'd be shocked if they only win 2 or less. In 3 years it will look like they've been in FBS for 40 years.

I see em winning between 3 and 5 in conference. I'm excited to see how well they transition. It's not as easy as some think, but they have the potential to be an exception.
I know I'll be driving up when we play em on the 22nd to see em in person

I went with 5-3. They are better than many people may realize. They were a consistent playoff contender. I think they beat Texas State, ARKST, and Georgia Southern. ODU and Georgia State are toss ups, both of which are trending up, so I think they only get one of them. They may upset APP or Marshall to get to 5-3.

Also remember Georgia Southern went 8-0 in their first year. The SBC is stronger now, but the FCS tag shouldn't matter that much considering how consistent they've been.

(03-01-2022 12:39 PM)HERD1 Wrote:  JMU is going to be a force in the Sun Belt...and that is absolutely no knock on the Sun Belt...JMU is a quality program and is going to surprise people how quickly they compete.

I say 3-4 wins. I'd be shocked if they only win 2 or less. In 3 years it will look like they've been in FBS for 40 years.

of course i'm biased, but i do believe that.

at the same time, you could say that about a lot of Sun Belt programs.

many have already been-there, done-that....while many others are just starting to scratch the surface of their potential.

most of the programs in this league have a very high ceiling. That's what makes the league so great and the future so bright.

cant' wait to get this thing going !

I do think JMU is dangerous to any team in the SBC, but I see them going 4-4 in conference. The biggest adjustment App had was developing depth and I see JMU having the same issue. Depending on injuries (or lack thereof), it could vary in either direction. I'm personally very glad to see them joining the SBC and think they'll add a lot very quickly.

I haven't watched a JMU game, so I can't vote on this and won't try to guess.

2-6

I see 3 winnable games on that schedule.

At least 4, maybe more if they aren’t taken seriously. I think they will be good off the bat. They already have the scholarship players due to Covid numbers, so they aren’t having to ramp up with freshmen like the rest of us did.

You're good people.

I voted 3-5 in SBC competition. Anything above that is just icing on the cake for year 1.

4

I think most reasonable fans will say 4-4 or anything better than that would be a stellar first season in the Sunbelt. I think 3-5 is more realistic this fall given the toughness of the Sunbelt East, a new QB, a young/developing O-line, and some turnover in skill positions. If we can end the first season at 6-5 or even 7-4, the streamers are gonna be flying in Harrisonburg.

I voted 4-4, looking through our schedule there are four I'd pick as wins. Could really vary though, I expect some on both sides to be very close games. I bet we pull off one we'd be expected to lose but drop one we're expected to win to end up right back at 4-4.

I'm also not the biggest believer in our coach when it comes to everything on Saturdays though so won't be shocked if we fall short in an extra game or two. His biggest strengths imo are recruiting and development, and it's obviously gonna take a little time to ramp those things up to meet the extra potential that comes from being in the Sun Belt instead of the CAA.

I voted 4-4. JMU has a lot of question marks this season, but the last 5+ seasons the Dukes have been pretty competitive against FBS competition. That includes close loses versus WVU and NC State and wins versus SMU and ECU. The 2016 UNC game was the last one I can remember where we just seemed to be outmatched. I think we'll surprise some teams, but know that it will be a tough adjustment with a roster that is still mostly FCS level talent.

What's fascinating about the JMU schedule is that it's laid out in a way that they can get off to a hot start.

Got to think the MTSU is winnable with all the excitement & energy surrounding their FBS home opener, Norfolk State certainly is and got to believe Texas State is potentially the most winnable league game (particularly since it is at home) for JMU. It would not surprise me in the least bit if they roar out of the gates at 3-1.

Still see them finishing 5-6 or 6-5 on the campaign.

I think we have the potential to win 5 SBC games in a best case scenario but realistically I think between 2 and 4 conference wins is most likely. We will likely start the year with our worst (or at least most unproven) QB in a decade and our O-Line is a big question mark. I would say 99% of JMU fans are absolutely elated with this schedule. Overall I think 5-6 is most likely with 4-7 and 6-5 being one "surprising" result away.

Go Dukes!